CAPUTO: Miggy & Scherzer doing Detroit proud

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera are having truly special seasons for the Tigers.

Yet, such brilliance hasn’t been that unusual for athletes representing Detroit teams in recent history. Not including Scherzer and Cabrera, these are the best seasons by Detroit athletes the last three decades.

- Willie Hernandez, Tigers, 1984 – On the surface, by today’s standards, Hernandez converting 32 of 33 saves for the Tigers’ last World Series championship club doesn’t seem that impressive, especially when it is considered Jose Valverde converted 49 of 49 saves for the 2011 Tigers. But it was a different era. Hernandez was often asked to pitch more than an inning to close games. He pitched 140 innings that season, which is as many as some backend of the rotation starters. He also had a 9-3 record with a 1.93 ERA and a WHIP under one. It wasn’t a mistake he was not only the American League’s Cy Young Award winner, but also MVP. Hernandez also converted all three of his save opportunities in the postseason.

- Alan Trammell, Tigers, 1987 – It’s a sham and a shame Trammell finished second in AL MVP voting in ‘87 to Toronto’s George Bell. Moving to cleanup after hitting in the two-hole most of his career, Trammell hit .343 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI, coming through with one clutch hit after another. He was typically steady and nearly flawless at shortstop. The Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the AL East that spring. They ended up winning more games than any team in MLB. The primary reason: Alan Trammell.

- Sergei Fedorov, Red Wings, 1994 – Fifty-six goals, 64 assists, 120 points, plus 48…Fedorov put together a season for the ages. Only one Red Wings’ player has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most the last five decades, Fedorov. He also eventually played on three Stanley Cup title teams with Detroit. People should forget about how Fedorov left. It’s time to let go of any lingering bitterness. He accomplished an incredible amount as a Red Wing.

- Herman Moore, Lions, 1995 – Moore caught 123 passes, which is third on the all-time list for a single season. It was the NFL record for seven years. His 1.686 receiving yards in ’95 is seventh all time. He also had 14 touchdown receptions. He did so with Scott Mitchell as his QB. Now that’s impressive.

- Barry Sanders, Lions, 1997 – Every season was a great year for Barry Sanders. He never rushed for less than 1,000 yards. They will be playing highlights of his runs in the year 2525, and still wondering how they were humanly possible. However, 2,000 yards rushing has long been a magical part of the NFL’s lore, and Sanders joined this rare club in ’97, leading the Lions to a playoff spot in the process.

- Magglio Ordonez, Tigers, 2007 – Ordonez’s season statistically in some ways was more impressive than Miguel Cabrera’s Triple Crown year in 2012. He had a better batting average (.363) and OPS (1.029). He also had 28 home runs and 139 RBI. But the most impressive part was doubles. Ordonez had 54 doubles. Only 28 other players in MLB history have had as many or more in a single season.

- Justin Verlander, Tigers, 2011 – It wasn’t just Verlander was 24-5 with an impressive 2.40 ERA. It was time after time how he would come through with impressive pitching performances to stop losing streaks. Pitchers rarely win the MVP Award. Verlander got it in a landslide. He was that dominant.

- Matthew Stafford, Lions, 2011 – Stafford’s 5,038 yards passing in ’11 is sixth all-time and his 41 touchdowns tied for eighth. He led the Lions to a 10-6 season and their first playoff berth in a dozen seasons. They were 0-16 just three seasons before.

- Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, 2012 – Cabrera became the first MLB player to win the Triple Crown since 1967. He was able to maintain his hot hitting down the stretch. The Tigers didn’t win the AL Central in a romp. They had to come from behind to catch the Chicago White Sox. Cabrera keyed that run. His production was anything but hollow.

- Calvin Johnson, Lions, 2012 – That Johnson set the NFL single-season receiving yardage mark on such a bad (4-12) team is astonishing. It wasn’t like he wasn’t seeing double-team coverage. He was seeing triple-team coverage. And he still beat it all.

A couple things. Why no Pistons? The Pistons certainly have had great players the last three decades and their three NBA titles speaks volumes to that fact. Yet, their beauty was more the sum of their parts than individual accomplishment. In a sense, that is to the credit of those great players, which include, but don’t end with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Ben Wallace.

Why no Steve Yzerman. He did have one very special season statistically in which he scored 65 goals and 90 assists in 1989, but it was before the true greatness of Yzerman came to forefront as a two-way player and terrific leader.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98